'It’s a difficult situation for me': This decision awaits the Rangers, Adrian Beltre leading up to the MLB trade deadline

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Texas Rangers designated hitter Adrian Beltre (29) and shortstop Elvis Andrus (1) get high fives in the dugout after scoring two runs thanks to a hit by third baseman Jurickson Profar (19) during the fifth inning of an MLB game between the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. (Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News)

HOUSTON -- Usually, Adrian Beltre can speak volumes with just a stare, glare or a smile.

On Saturday, he said it all with a stammer.

The Rangers, who are coming off a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros, are within 72 hours of the non-waivers trade deadline. A contending team, the Atlanta Braves, according to a source, has expressed serious interest in bringing Beltre aboard as a veteran leader and part-time third baseman for the surprising young club.

So, um, Adrian, how would you feel about a reunion with former Rangers manager Ron Washington, now the third-base coach in Atlanta?

"Uh, well, I mean, it's always nice to see him," Beltre said with a laugh Saturday afternoon. "I love Ron. But I can't comment on that. I don't know. I don't think anything, to my knowledge, is heading that way. But I don't know. I don't know. I just work here."

Source: Atlanta Braves interested in Rangers' Adrian Beltre

Before Tuesday's deadline, Beltre is probably going to have to make some kind of decision or, more likely, he and Rangers GM Jon Daniels are going to have to make one together.

Beltre, who has complete no-trade protection because of service time, is going to have to decide if he wants one last chance at a World Series, even if it is in a part-time role for a team that began Saturday on the outside of the playoffs after a long lull. If not, he'll have to be content to finish out the year (and perhaps call it a career) in the long, hot Texas summer.

If he wants to go to Atlanta, he's going to have to communicate it to Daniels. And Daniels is probably going to have to swallow hard, take whatever the Braves might have to offer to make Beltre happy, and prepare to convince him to play one more season. Beltre has said -- and maintained Saturday -- if he plays in 2019, he wants it to be with the Rangers.

"We have talked," Beltre allowed. "I've always been at peace with being here. Obviously, we have talked before [about a trade], and if it makes sense for both parties, I would consider it. But up until now, there's nothing concrete that we can sit and talk about."

Is there now?

"That's too much information," Beltre said.

A decision on Beltre may be the most heart-rending for Daniels of the next 72 hours, but it is hardly the only difficult decision. The others mostly come down to cold, hard evaluations such as giving up a player with multiple years of service vs. the possible return.

According to three sources, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been scouting the Rangers' relief quartet of Keone Kela, Jose Leclerc, Alex Claudio and Jake Diekman closely in the last week. All but Diekman have multiple years of control remaining. Arizona, which began the day trailing the Dodgers by 11/2 games in the NL West, has scouted the Rangers' relievers all week, too. Pittsburgh is believed to be targeting Kela.

There has been legitimate interest in starter Mike Minor and versatile slugger Joey Gallo, both controllable for multiple seasons.

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The conventional wisdom is that controllable players are the kinds around which you rebuild. But with the Rangers' farm system depleted at the upper levels, trading players with multiple years of control might be the easiest way to exponentially increase minor league talent this summer and accelerate the rebuild.

Daniels declined to comment on trading controllable players Saturday.

"If somebody wanted to get -- or if somebody valued -- one of your players at a really high level, you have to listen," he said on the Ben & Skin Show on KRLD-FM 105.3 a week ago. "Obviously, there are some guys that are less likely to be moved than others, but I think it's pretty rare -- outside of a Mike Trout-type situation -- where you truly have an untouchable player in today's game."

To properly value the returns on those kinds of deals may take until the last moments of the trading period to force the last, best offer from a team.

Beltre's case is a little different. There aren't many teams involved. Beltre would only consider one or two of those possibilities.

One of those opportunities has arisen. Nothing has been brought to him -- yet. But he clearly seems to be aware the possibility exists.

"It's a difficult situation for me," Beltre said. "I'm caught between the organization that gave me the chance to win for many years, the organization that trusted me enough to sign me to multi-year contracts multiple times, the fans -- I could ask nothing better than the way the Texas fans have received me in this state. But ultimately, I do want to win.

"And obviously, if I get traded to a team that 'has a chance to win,' we might not end up getting there," Beltre said. "It's going to come along if the right situation works for both parties."